Highlights: December 23 – 29

Contemporary 1920’s

The thing that separates an ordinary from a great portrait is the specific and real emotion and character of a person that is being portrayed. Even though photography nowadays seems like a simple medium to be practices and almost everyone uses it, in an amateur or professional way, the real skill of photography is a very difficult process. For the American photographer Ed Ross, photography was never a burden. His talent and unique approach to the craft quickly earned him a respectable place among the most creative and innovative photographers out there. Although Ross’ landscapes are among the most beautiful you’ll get the chance to see, his dedication and perspective on portraiture and nudity are beyond all expectations. The ones not familiar with the work of Ed Ross probably would probably place them in the end of 19th century, but the fact is that they were first made several years ago. The seductiveness and vintage feel to them are what makes them so stunning and brilliant. Today, we’re presenting you with the beautiful portfolio of Mr. Ross…

Behind Bedroom Doors

Bettina Caroline Germaine Rheims is a French photographer born in Neuilly-sur-Seine in December 1952 and began her journey as a photographer 1978 by taking images of acrobats and strip-tease artists that led to her life time love and favourite subject to photograph, the female body and was quoted as saying ‘’I love the flesh. I am a photographer of the skin’’. While the lens of Bettina Rheims is often trained on naked flesh with nude photography, it has enabled her to travel down other avenues of exploration such as in her series Animal in 1982, which was capturing stuffed animals and trying to relate something in the eyes of death. In 1995 she was invited by Jacques Chirac to take photos behind the scenes of his presidential campaign and eventually to shoot the first commissioned portrait when he got elected.

Street Art Arena 2014

When I heard I got the task to choose my top 10 favorite murals from the year behind us, the first thing that crossed my mind was that it’s impossible. Thinking about all the beautiful work I wrote about in 2014 and the effort that artists made, I found myself in an unenviable position. Then, I started revisiting our galleries to somehow make a list. Our favorite artists were very busy in the last twelve months, leaving their marks across the globe. They participated in numerous projects, exhibitions, made some highly successful collaborations and finished the year in big style, by participating in one of the world’s biggest art fair, Art Basel Miami. Going chronically, one of the artists that is not only talented, but also has a very creative approach to the process of painting is the Spanish artist Borondo. His upside down mural he did in London fascinated me in many ways. Although very simple and not of enormous dimensions, the idea of painting the portrait that would reflect in the river beneath is just superb. Other names on the list are German artist Hendrik Beikirch aka ECB famous for his beautiful and realistic portraits and one of my personal favorites, if not my all-time favorite artist, Nychos. Murals that proved that two artists can still keep their signature marks even in collaborations are also on the list, as well as the Chinese urban art superstar DALeast, the Belgian muralist ROA whose talent always leaves us breathless, hyper-realistic work by the Italian multitalented artist OZMO, one of the most exciting street artists in the world today Phlegm and last, but not least, an artist that shocked visitors of Art Basel Miami with his talent, a fantastic Puerto Rican muralist Bikismo.

Question of Value

Question of value is among the most important issues a collector faces, especially today, in the highly fluctuating market. Although the general recommendation is to consult an expert, there are several things a collector can do in order to come closer to knowing the approximate value of a particular piece. Valuing art is a complicated process, influenced by many market variables and trends. It may be difficult for a young collector to understand why the piece he or she loved so much is valued relatively low, but the appraisal is not to be taken in with emotions. Market value is one thing, while the cultural value of an artwork can always be defined as – priceless. For all of the collectors, art enthusiasts, flippers and benefactors, the numbers matter, but before getting to exact price, steps need to be taken.

Political Statements

There are those moments in life when reflecting on times gone by becomes a necessity in order to move forward. It may seem so arbitrary that we resort to this kind of contemplation in regular annual cycles, but still – we do it for a reason. We are looking at how major events of 2014 which will be remembered for years and decades to come and that have triggered the creative energy of artists and other individuals alike. The art inspired by certain occurrences isn’t some symbolic discourse which exists only as a story, but rather, it is the way in which we will remember what has happened.